


The Adventures Of Brown Eyes And His Womp Rat

by protectbucky



Series: The Adventures Of Brown Eyes And His Womp Rat [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Adorable Grogu | Baby Yoda, Din Djarin Needs a Hug, Din Djarin Whump, Din Djarin has PTSD, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Good Parent Din Djarin, Grogu | Baby Yoda Being a Little Shit, Grogu | Baby Yoda Needs a Hug, How Do I Tag, Hurt Din Djarin, Luke doesn't take Grogu, Not Canon Compliant, Protective Grogu | Baby Yoda, Soft Din Djarin, The Mandalorian (TV) Season 2, The Mandalorian (TV) Spoilers, but also some whump sometimes, canon divergence after chapter 16, so basically Din and Grogu's adventures after chapter 16, soft father and son vibes, teach me how to tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:27:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28295277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/protectbucky/pseuds/protectbucky
Summary: SPOILERS FOR THE END OF SEASON TWOAfter the Jedi decides that Grogu should stay with him, Din takes off and does his best as a single dad in a ruthless galaxy.
Relationships: Din Djarin & Grogu | Baby Yoda
Series: The Adventures Of Brown Eyes And His Womp Rat [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2072541
Comments: 45
Kudos: 171





	1. Starting From Scrap

Exiting hyperspace, Din sat up straight in his chair, bringing his attention back to the control panel. They were about to land on Batuu, a planet once blooming with trade and markets before the Empire, now a shallow reminder of its greatness. It was still said that many of the remaining inhabitants were willing to pay some for a hunter to handle their dirty deeds. And a few credits were more than enough for Din since they were running low on portions.

He looked over at Grogu, sleeping soundly in the seat on his right. The child’s face was calm and content, no trace of the horrors he must have lived through on Moff Gideon’s ship. It has been a week since Din rescued him. A week since that vicious and exhausting battle with the Dark Troopers. A week since only one X-Wing showed up, its pilot slaying the enemy with his incredible movements, then dropping his cape in front of Din and reaching out for the child. A week since he handed the kid over to that trained professional, removing his helmet in an emotion-filled moment, only to look down and see the child clinging to his legs, tears shining in his huge brown eyes.

“I cannot take him” Din remembered the Jedi’s words clear as day. “I cannot separate him from you.” So the child stayed, but Din agreed with the Jedi, apparently called Luke Skywalker, that he will bring Grogu to some force-training every once in a while. Skywalker said it was for the best that Grogu stayed with Din, but since the kid was holding immense powers, he suggested to check up on him sometimes to make sure he stays as far away as possible from something Luke called the “dark side”.

Din loathed the feeling of relief in his chest when the Jedi didn’t take the kid. He hated to admit, but even though he wanted what was best for Grogu, he realized long ago that his life would be hollow without the kid to brighten his days with his babble and endless shenanigans. So as they got back to the Razor Crest, exhausted, he made sure to hold the kid as tight as he could in their little sleeping chamber that night.

He knew life wouldn’t be easy from then on either. Bo-Katan gave him a head start, understanding that Din was going through too much, but she still promised to come for the Darksaber. Din, even though he understood the meaning of the tradition, was still confused about why she couldn’t just accept it. Just fight him in a make pretend battle and go their separate ways. He never wanted to rule anything, especially not Mandalore, especially not now that he had a son to take care of. But as things stood at the moment, he was the rightful heir to the throne. He found it sort of funny how he just gets thrown into these completely random situations.

So even though he was sure Bo-Katan would find him eventually, his main focus was on getting a new quest and making some credits to buy food for himself and Grogu. That’s why he chose to go to Batuu; he knew the place hasn’t been thriving since it was taken over by the Empire, but word went around that good business could still be made there if a hunter looked carefully enough.

He carefully landed the Crest in a forest not too far away from a town. The ship had been through enough, and even though he was careful with her before, Din paid even more attention to his landing techniques now. The meadow which he landed in was barely enough for the ship, making them tear down some branches from nearby trees. Grogu woke at the sound of the leaves and branches against the ship’s windscreen, and Din looked back at him reassuringly, trying to convey through his feelings that everything is alright. The kid seemed to understand and he looked up at Din with soft, sleepy eyes.

Once they landed on the ground, Din turned to Grogu and started to speak, now knowing the child understood him, not by words but by feelings and emotions.

“Grogu” he started and he couldn’t help but smile when the kid’s ears perked up to the sound of his name. “We are on Batuu” he continued. “This planet used to be thriving once but the Empire destroyed its glory. I’m here to look for a job so we can get credits and buy ourselves portions. I want you to follow me wherever I go.”

Grogu nodded his head a little and made a strange sound Din still could not comprehend, but he knew the child understood him. Ahsoka said Grogu speaks through the Force; feelings and waves instead of words and sentences, but he can understand what Din says even though he cannot form actual words yet. Knowing this fact made Din happier than he would’ve liked to admit. Knowing his child understood most of the things he had to say filled him with contentment.

He opened the backdoor of the Crest and it made an agonizing sound; he made a mental note that he should get it fixed by Peli on Tatooine, but he hadn’t dared to return yet. He stepped out of the ship with Grogu by his side and he took in the view of the jungle around them. “Stay by my side” he said to the child while he put his helmet back on. “I have no idea what kinds of creatures could roam this forest.”

They walked side by side, Din keeping an eye on Grogu every second. After a while the jungle became sparse, revealing the distant sight of a town. As they approached they could get a closer look at the neighbourhood; wooden houses and buildings scattered across the streets, making the planet look sort of similar then what Din heard of the home of the Wookies. They walked past the unguided gates of the town, and to no surprise it looked like most of the places Din accepted jobs at. A narrow and steep marketplace on the first street past the town entrance, leading to a cantina, just as usual. As they entered the main street, all the people, merchants and customers alike stared at them with wide, unwelcoming eyes. Din was used to this kind of welcome.

As they made their way to the cantina, Grogu not leaving Din’s side for a second, the voices and stares dialed down a bit. When they reached the door, Din leaned down and opened his arms to the kid.

“Come on” he said, his voice deepened by the helmet. “You gotta get under my cape again. I want to keep you safe.” Grogu obeyed immediately without further noises and Din hoped it was because the kid could sense his concern through the Force.

He stepped into the cantina, his armor feeling heavier at the sight of eyes crunched in disbelief. A Mandalorian was not a sight these people had been accustomed to, and Din could hardly blame them. Since the fall of the Empire, this place seemed lost and torn between joining the New Republic or going independent.

He immediately noticed the job offer, though: a Blutopian sitting in a far away corner of the cantina, eyes narrowed, face focused on Din’s armor. Din made his way over to his future customer. He stood beside the table and looked down at the strange being.

“So, a Mandalorian” the Blutopian started. “Haven’t seen your kind in a while. I’m Heb VanMeer. I offer deals to hunters across the galaxy.” The man grinned, then looked Din up and down once again. “You must be in sort of trouble to come to our planet” the man grinned.

“I’m looking for a job” Din said, voice as cold as the Beskar helmet.

“I’ve got just the deal for you” Heb smiled. “I’d been offered many bets to see the death of a certain Cerean that’s been hiding on this planet. I want you to bring her in, alive. I’ll pay greatly and let you go on your way if you do so.”

“I’ll take that offer” Din replied, knowing that Cereans are very intelligent and fearful, but he was willing to risk anything for their portions nonetheless.

As soon as he received the coordinates where the Cerean was last seen, Din set on the cruiser he received for support, with Grogu cheering happily by his side. As he looked at the kid, he knew that no matter what was about to happen, he would get the money for food for the little one anyway.


	2. The Cerean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din does what he has to to make do for his kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh yeah i forgot to mention but as y'all have probably noticed the Crest didn't get blown up. not because i don't like the symbolism behind Din losing literally everything to get Grogu back, but simply because i'm lazy and i don't want to make up an entire new ship. so the Crest lives :)

Luckily his target seemed to be on Batuu, just as expected, hiding out in the depths of the jungle. Din looked at Grogu once more before covering the child with his cape. He drew his blaster as he slowly approached an ancient temple-like building, his steps slow and cautious, careful enough to not break a single branch under his feet.

It took him by surprise that no one seemed to be guarding the temple. An abandoned, overgrown garden led to a heavy steel door which he could only assume was the entrance. After walking through the decaying garden, Din took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The palace looked completely empty of any sign of life. Din found himself in an entrance hall; a grand staircase leading to a fogged floor, small hallways to the left and right, probably ending up in a kitchen area. Guessing his target would be hiding out in the more exquisite parts of the building, Din made his way up the dusty carpet that covered the stairs. As he looked around carefully, he noticed paintings on both walls around him, covered in spider webs. The portraits contained generations of Cereans, with their remarkably big skulls drawing the attention on all the pictures. Din felt like a mere piece of dust in the great importance of history, yet he wondered how this dynasty set foot on this planet. It was unlikely for any Cerean clans to settle down in such a world as Batuu.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he noticed a dim light coming from the room on his left and he began to approach slowly. He made sure the cape was covering the kid before he aimed his blaster and pushed the creaking door open.

The room was clean; at least cleaner than the rest of the castle. It seemed as if anything that was still worth a credit had been gathered between these four walls, and even though the room was spacious, the stocked up treasures made the place feel cramped. The curtains were open and light flooded through the wide windows. As he looked around, Din noticed a chair across the room, turned towards a lit, softly crackling fireplace.

“Are you here to kill me?” A deep, rigid voice called from the chair. Din couldn’t see the Cerean yet, so he took a few, careful steps towards her, his blaster still drawn.

“It’s okay” the lady said, turning around slowly. Din took in the sight of the creature; brown hair flowing on her shoulders from the bottom of her enlarged skull. She was dressed in an elegant robe, fitting in with her surroundings of relics once precious, their glory ruined by the sands of time. “I figured someone would come.”

Din kept his hands strict on his blaster but made no movement. The Cerean didn’t show any signs of protest so far. “My name is Syrena” she said. “What’s yours, hunter?”

Din smiled a little under his helmet. A rare occasion someone he was about to capture asked for his name. “I was sent by Heb VanMeer. My quest is to bring you in” he said instead.

Syrena nodded, understanding. She appeared calm for someone who was told a death sentence. “Then do your job, hunter” she whispered as she stood from her chair, holding her wrists out for Din as she was expecting to be handcuffed.

“We’ll walk” Din said, voice filled with confusion. The Cerean must have caught a glimpse of that, because she laughed sadly. “You must be confused” she started, “but I will not fight you.” As they exited the room and walked down the stairs, Syrena’s eyes wandered across the dust-covered paintings.

“See, once upon a time my ancestors settled on this planet” she gestured towards the portraits. “They refused to take advantage of the powers our kind possesses. For generations, they lived a simple life. Lavish, but simple. They never caused harm to anyone” her voice trembled slightly. “That was until the Empire took over the planet. As the blooming economy declined, the merchants became pirates. Looking for our treasure. They were vicious. Didn’t spare anyone from my family. I only survived by luck.”

Din’s stomach dropped a little. He knew exactly what that felt like. “I protected these treasures as long as I could in honor of my family,” the Cerean continued. “But all things must come to an end. Every warrior gets tired of fighting sometime.”

They left the temple and headed through the forest, Din’s mind swirling with thoughts. He remembered the day he lost everyone, the way everything was taken from him in a dreadful minute. He still heard the screams of his people in the back of his mind, still remembered the look on his mother’s face as she screamed from the top of her lungs in fear. The Cerean must have gone through horrible things, just as he did all those years ago.

“If it matters anything to your conscience,” he heard Syrena’s voice from in font of him, “they won’t kill me. It’s not in their interests.”

Din wasn’t sure if it mattered anything. He still felt the loss in the lady’s voice and saw her broken, tired eyes.

They arrived at the cantina a few hours later, and as they entered all heads turned in their direction once again. Din found the feeling strange; for once people weren’t staring at him as they walked past the tables to the back of the place.

“Here you go” Din said to VanMeer when they reached him.

“Very well” VanMeer grinned and tossed a bunch of credits on the table. Din counted them quickly in his head: they will be enough for a little while. He nodded his head and turned to walk away, catching from the corner of his eyes Syrenna’s head lowered in defeat as VanMeer’s people took her by the wrists and led her to the backrooms.

The walk back to the ship was quiet, Din was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t notice Crogu’s concerned little face peeking out from under his cape. He opened the door of the crest and reached for the kid, gently putting him down on the floor. He took off his helmet, the movement still unfamiliar, and went to wash his face. He looked in the little shattered mirror in the refresher room, and broken, tired eyes looked back at him, the same eyes he saw on Syrena’s face earlier. Not only hers; he saw his mother’s eyes, then his father’s, filled with fear, hopelessness, pain. Din’s knees felt weak and his lips started to tremble. He had to hold on to the small sink so he wouldn’t fall over. He couldn’t see clear, even though he tried his hardest to focus on his face in the mirror. Faces and eyes flashed in front of him, and he tried to catch his own reflection in the chaos of thousand other ones, but he felt nauseous so he closed his eyes to avoid throwing up right there. This wasn’t new, he’d felt like this before, usually after emotionally and physically tiring hunts. But what came next surprised him.

He felt the panic and nausea slowly wash away as calmness filled his bones. He opened his eyes slowly, expecting to see others in his reflection, but the fog gradually disappeared and he realized he was staring at his own, drained face. His breathing becoming more even, he wondered what in the name of the Maker just happened to him. He slid the door of the small room open and looked down to the ground, finding Grogu with his eyes closed, one hand stretched out, little brows furrowed in concentration. A sudden rush of affection came over Din; he felt like his chest would burst from all the love he felt for the kid. His kid.

“I’m okay, kiddo, I’m okay” he knelt down, putting a hand on Grogu’s back, letting him know he could stop. Grogu’s eyes opened slowly and he looked up at Din, some concern still showing on his face. Din sat on the ground and took the child in his lap, holding him close. Grogu hugged him back immediately, wrapping his little arms as much as he could around the thick Beskar covering Din’s chest.

“Thank you” Din whispered as a tear rolled down his cheek. “Thank you, Grogu.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah so Din is broken and Grogu is a soft child


	3. Helmet Replica

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din gets Grogu a toy :')  
> This one is pure fluff.

He landed the Crest near another town in Batuu. Even though the previous one had a marketplace too, he had no intentions of ever going back there. Not after what he did. After putting the ship on the ground, he stayed still in his seat and looked at the credits in his hands. It just didn’t feel right. This is exactly why Din never asked, never took any interest in the backstory of his targets. He looked at himself simply as the person that delivered; not someone that interfered with these stories. He always told himself that sooner or later, his target would’ve been caught, if not by another bounty hunter, then by an enemy. He sighed deeply, shifting his focus back to reality and he put the credits in the little bag he used to carry Grogu around.

The said little being was soundly asleep in their resting space. Using the Force to comfort Din had drained Grogu, and as soon as Din wrapped his arms around the little child and began thanking him for what he’d done, Grogu’s tired eyes shut close and he fell asleep in his father’s arms. Now Din was standing in front of the sleeping kid, debating whether or not he should wake him. But then again it’s been hours since the child passed out, and after the events on Tython, Din wasn’t willing to leave him out of his sight. He gently put a palm on the kid’s forehead.

“Grogu” he started softly, and the kid’s eyes opened right away at the sound of his name. Din still found it strange that he got to know what the child was really called. He realized soon after their meeting with Ahsoka, that it had probably been decades since someone called the little one by his own name, so Din tried his best to get used to it and say it as many times as he could. “Wake up, buddy” he continued as the traces of sleep faded from Grogu’s eyes. “We’re going to get us some portions.”

The child rubbed his eyes slowly and tried to hold back a yawn but failed miserably. Din chuckled and took Grogu in his arms, running a hand over the little green head.

“Someone’s sleepy” he said tenderly. It took him by surprise that Grogu extended one tiny arm in search of Din’s face, but he reluctantly let the kid’s fingers reach his skin. The feeling was still strange and new, and it was the first time Grogu had done this since they escaped Gideon’s ship. They didn’t exactly have the time to rest so far.

Grogu’s small hand traced Din’s bruised skin and the hunter closed his eyes. The sensation of someone touching his face was unfamiliar, since he couldn’t really remember the loving touch of his parents. He remembered that they used to hold him when he was little, but he forgot about the feeling. It’s been way too long. Now he just let himself get washed away in the moment, the child, his child, softly caressing the scars on his face. He opened his eyes after a while and saw the kid looking back at him, his googly eyes filled with love and contentment. This is the way, Din thought. It was better for the both of them that he finally dared to take his helmet off when he was with Grogu.

“Okay, kiddo, okay” Din spoke, voice thick. “We should really get going.”

The child made a little disappointed noise but didn’t resist when Din put him in his designated bag and made sure he was covered with the cape. Din put his helmet back on, still feeling the traces of warmth where the child had touched his skin. He smiled under the helmet and opened the door of the Crest.

The town he had chosen for restocking their portions was a bit bigger than the previous one. As he entered he was greeted by the marketplace right away, situated in the entrance of the village, probably to get travellers like Din to restock before they went on their way again. The market was buzzing, merchants shouting about their goods left and right, families and townsfolk navigating between the stands, food courts in every corner with a line of children in front of them.

The place reminded Din of Nevarro, after Cara and Karga restored the planet. He wondered if they were okay. He knew Cara headed back to Nevarro after their operation of saving the kid, but Din was hoping that Bo-Katan had enough common sense not to go after her, and he hadn’t contacted her since their departure from the ship. He didn’t want to put his friends in danger once again.

Not surprisingly, the townspeople stared at him as he entered the market. The little children looked at his armor with awe, their parents stared with concern and fear. He ignored them and focused on his quest, which was getting the kid some decent food finally. He stopped in front of a stall that was selling portions of powder. Din knew this wasn’t the best food in the galaxy, but it was the easiest: just pouring some water on the powder turned it into something at least edible. He stocked up, buying a few different kinds, but he was also determined to get the kid something more nutritious, so he headed for a stall full of fresh meat.

He could feel Grogu shift slightly in the bag, and knew the kid was sniffing around in the cavalcade of scents and smells coming from the food stall. He himself couldn’t really smell a thing as the helmet filtered out most of it, but looking at the roasted and fried meet in front of him, maybe he was lucky after all. He ended up buying the kid some deep-fried gorgs, since they were very much frog-like creatures, so he was sure Grogu would like them.

He made his way to the side of the market, sitting down on a little ledge and he carefully pulled the kid out from the small bag and put him on the ground. The child looked around at the market with a sudden interest that quickly faded away when Din pulled out the fried gorgs. Grogu looked up at him patiently and Din couldn’t help but smile.

“Well behaved, kiddo” he said as he handed the meat over to Grogu. In the blink of an eye the food was gone. Din laughed, patting Grogu’s little head. “It’s been a while since you had something good to eat, huh?” He gave another piece and Grogu gulped it down just as quickly.

Once the child was done eating, Din lifted him up and put him back in the packet. He began to make his way out of the market and he almost reached the exit when he heard a little sigh coming from Grogu’s direction.

“You just ate, bud” Din said, stopping in his tracks. A little green hand appeared from under his cape and pointed at one of the stalls behind his back. Din turned around, confused. Grogu was pointing at a rather big stand with various types of toys and children’s equipment. Oh, here we go, Din thought. He’d never really spent much time at markets with the kid, usually he stocked up real fast and left before anyone remembered they were even there. He never had to buy any toys for him.

He looked down at the kid and saw his pleading eyes, and he sighed to himself. He reached and checked if they had any money left. He could feel a few credits scattered around in the bag, so with another sigh he walked towards the stand.

The merchant’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw a Mandalorian approach. Din tried to be as non-intimidating as he could when he spoke.

“I, uhm. I’m looking for toys” he stammered. Great going, Djarin, he thought. He must have looked like an idiot, but at least the fear vanished a little from the merchant’s face.

“What kind?” He asked, his voice conveying a trace of surprise.

What kind? Din had no idea. He never had to buy anything for kids before. He knew Grogu loved to play with the little metal ball, and he also knew the kid was interested in the switches on the Crest. But he thought it was better if the kid got to choose for himself. He pulled his cape aside and gathered Grogu in his arms.

“I, ah, I’ll let him choose, I guess” he told the merchant who stopped trying to hide his dismay at this point. Din almost laughed at the situation. He was sure it’s not an everyday thing in a seller’s life to have a bounty hunter searching for kid’s equipment.

Grogu observed each toy and Din let him take his time. Then the kid’s eyes finally stopped at one item and he made an excited squealing sound. Din followed the direction of Grogu’s gaze and his heart skipped a beat. The child was bouncing in his arms, reaching out for, as Din still couldn’t really believe, a little replica of a Mandalorian helmet.

The merchant let out a giggle, astounded by the situation. “Excellent choice” he said, grinning. Din was speechless as the seller reached for the helmet and handed it over to Grogu. The child gasped and tried to put it on his head, only to have his huge ears blocking the way. Grogu let out a heartbroken sigh and stopped his excited bouncing. Din finally regained control of his mind and looked down at the kid.

“It’s okay, buddy, we’ll cut holes in it” he said and he looked back up at the merchant who was smiling happily at them, the fear disappearing from his face completely.

“Is he yours?” He asked and Din couldn’t answer right away. He looked at Grogu, holding the small helmet happily in his tiny arms, almost bursting from excitement.

“Yes” he replied. “Not biologically, but yes.”

The merchant nodded and smiled at them warmly. “He seems bright.”

“He is” Din responded, beaming at Grogu from under his Beskar. All of a sudden he realized he still hadn’t paid for the helmet. “How much?” He asked the seller.

“Fifteen credits” the man said and Din reached for his currency. Sadness flooded his chest at the realization. “I’m one credit short” he said.

“Leave it” the merchant replied. “You’ll have to cut holes in the helmet anyway. I’ll accept fourteen.” Din handed over the credits and thanked the seller. He really did feel thankful; he couldn’t imagine telling Grogu they can’t get the toy because he didn’t make enough credits. Seeing the kid happily babbling and playing with the tiny replica, Din felt more content than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have some serotonin y'all :')


	4. Complex Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> soft soft soft

Back at the Crest, Din organized their new food, stocking them in the small cabinet he kept for the purpose. The Crest didn’t have a kitchen, per se, but it had a heating surface Din could boil water on, and that was more than enough for this sort of food. When he finished putting everything in place, he turned back to the main space of the Crest, only to see Grogu sitting on the ground, desperately trying to put his newfound Mandalorian helmet over his giant ears. Din chuckled and walked over to the kid, crouching down and inspecting the helmet himself.

“Okay, Grogu, it’s not gonna work this way” he said, not missing how the kid cooed softly at the sound of his own name. “Are you gonna let me cut a hole in it?” Grogu looked curiously at Din and tilted his head. “Okay, I’ll take that as a yes” Din mumbled. “I’ll go and search for something I can use." He actually had no idea how he would fix the replica for the kid.

He walked over to his tool stash and started fumbling around, muttering to himself about the quality of each tool and their level of usefulness regarding the situation. He didn’t notice, however, that Grogu was up to a brand new shenanigan in the background. A few minutes passed until Din finally realized he was dumb all along. The Beskar spear! That could easily cut through the not so strong material of the replica helmet.

“Grogu,” he said absentmindedly, turning around, “I have an idea… Kid?” Din stood there, confused, as the child who was sitting on the floor just a few minutes earlier had completely disappeared. Din felt a rush of panic, but he quickly calmed himself, remembering that the doors of the ship were closed and he would’ve heard if something bad had happened. He heard a little rustle from his left and he realized Grogu was hiding.

“Okay, Grogu” Din sighed, even though he wasn’t annoyed at all. “Are you playing hide and seek?” This was not the first time the child had done this; he gave Din a heart attack first time he vanished when they were on their way to get the ship fixed up on Tatooine. He quickly found Grogu, however, since the kid gave himself away with snickering faintly from where he was hiding behind a box. Din remembered that first he wanted to scold him, but the sheer joy on Grogu’s face was enough for him to laugh along with the kid.

“I’m going to find you” Din said now and he looked around in the Crest. Grogu seemed to have hidden himself well this time: no sign of ears peeking out and no snickering. Din walked over to the refreshing area, maybe the child opened the door somehow and hid in the bathroom. He was wrong, so he turned around and scanned the Crest with his eyes once again. There was no sign of the kid, and his concern grew stronger once again. Did he miss something? Was he too lost in his thoughts and missed the kid getting in trouble? Just as he started to panic, he heard a faint giggle from the table he put his armor on. He turned in that direction to catch as his helmet slowly rose from the surface, revealing two petite green feet. No way. Din watched in disbelief as the kid tried to stand up and walk with his helmet on, not really succeeding since the Beskar was way too heavy for him to lift. Din wondered how he got in there in the first place, then realized the kid probably used the Force to put the Beskar on himself. He rushed over to the table so he could catch Grogu in his arms before he could fall to the ground. Holding the kid in his arms he lifted the helmet and saw the success of mischief on Grogu’s face. The child was shrieking with laughter and it filled Din’s heart with joy. He was laughing along.

“Alright, you troublemaker” he said after a while. “This one’s a little big for you, isn’t it?” He took the Beskar off the kid who reached after it in protest. “Come on, I’ll fix yours up so you can put it on.” He grabbed his spear and walked back to where the replica was laying on the floor, Grogu still in his arms.

He sat down on the floor and the child watched with much interest as he raised the spear - careful not to hit Grogu, of course - and tore a little hole on the plastic helmet. Grogu cooed happily and put one small hand on Din’s, pretending to be working along with his father. Din smiled and continued to shape the space for the kid’s ears. When they were done he carefully placed the spear on the ground.

“Good job, kid” Din declared, gently patting Grogu’s back. “Now it’s time to try it on.” Grogu cooed excitedly and Din lifted the helmet off the floor, holding it above the child’s head. “Ready?” He asked. Grogu was bouncing on his little feet, practically screaming from happiness. “Okay, here we go.” Din put the helmet on the small green head, cautious with the ears so he doesn’t accidentally hurt the kid. Grogu squealed in awe, his arms reaching up to feel the helmet.

“Looking good, bud” Din remarked, biting on his last word, his voice shaking suddenly. As he watched the child in the Mandalorian replica, some strange feeling flooded his chest. Pride, he realized. He had been proud of Grogu before, each time the kid did his Force tricks, but this time was different. This time there was no immediate threat, no other Jedi watching, it was just the two of them in a blissful moment. Din realized he never got to process his feelings, always being on the run. Now he took the time to let the pride flood over him from head to toe as he looked at Grogu: his son, there was no denying that, especially after he found out that the kid sees him as his father.

Grogu must have felt his complex emotions since he looked up at Din, little face filled with concern. “I’m good, bud” Din rushed to reassure. “I’m just..” He breathed in deep. Would the kid even understand if he said it? Does he even need to voice it if Grogu can possibly feel it? He needed to say it out loud anyway. “I’m proud of you.”

Grogu launched himself forward, throwing his small body in Din’s arms. The two stayed in a safe embrace for a few minutes, until the kid tapped Din on the shoulder, signalling that he wanted to express something.

“What is it, kid?” Din asked. Grogu raised one arm to his own head and held out the other in the direction of the Beskar helmet. Din didn’t have to comprehend his coos to understand what the child wanted. “You want me to put it on too, huh?”

He gathered Grogu in his arms and walked to the table, putting the kid down on the surface. He reached for the Beskar, the helmet cold in his hands. He quickly adjusted his curls so they wouldn’t get in his eyes, and a few seconds later the helmet was on his face. Grogu cooed in cheer as he reached out for his father. Din put him down on the ground and the child sprinted away, returning with a pipe that was surely supposed to be equipped somewhere on the Crest. He gestured to the Beskar spear still lying on the floor, and made a little battle noise.

Din laughed loudly and bent down to grab the spear. To Grogu’s dissatisfaction, he just put it back in its designated place. “You’re a little small to fight something like that, don’t you think?” He smiled under his Beskar. “Now get me a pipe like yours. With that, we can battle.”

Din watched as Grogu disappeared in the depths of the Crest, his overjoyed coos echoing in the ship. And if Din Djarin shed a few tears of happiness that day, no one was to know; only Grogu sensed it through the Force.


	5. Sword Fight

Not having a specific idea where to head next, Din decided they could find a place to settle for some time. It felt strange to think about settling, even if he didn’t plan to do so for the long haul. Din always imagined he’d spend every waking moment fighting for his Guild, he never would’ve thought he’d be thinking about taking some time off; let alone taking time off with a child he was raising.

But before he could make his daydream into reality, a holo-call rang through the cockpit of the Razor Crest. Din reluctantly accepted it, knowing what was about to come.

“Mandalorian” the man greeted on the other side of the call.

“Jedi” Din replied, trying to clear his voice of any negative feelings.

“I could tend to the child if you agree to it” Skywalker said. Din sighed heavily. He knew this is what he agreed to. He reminded himself that taking Grogu to training was not an inconvenience, but a blessed opportunity, especially that he god to keep the kid around.

“Yes” Din said after a few seconds. “Where can I find you?”

The Jedi skipped a beat before answering. “Come to Jhas Krill in the Anoat sector” he asserted.

Din typed in the name on the navigation board. Jhas Krill appeared to be a moon, orbiting the gas giant of Jhas. The board took a few moments to calculate the distance. Din was already sure the moon wasn’t frequently visited. “I can get there in a day” he announced when the calculation was complete, looking back to the holo-call.

“See you tomorrow then” Skywalker said, the call cutting off just as fast as it came.

“Jhas Krill, huh?” Din mumbled, not as much to Grogu, but to himself. “So much for a few days off.” The kid looked up at him from the floor of the cockpit where he’d been sitting for the past hour, little helmet still on his head, playing with the pipe. Din still had no idea where Grogu got the pipe from, but the ship hasn’t fallen apart so far, so he guessed it mustn’t be very important.

Grogu hit Din’s arm softly with the pipe, demanding attention. Din snapped his focus back on the kid and raised an eyebrow, urging him to express his needs. But Grogu simply stood as straight as he could with his little body and drew the pipe out in front of him, babbling around in a way Din was sure had been coherent for the child, but he still couldn’t understand.

“Alright, little guy, you wanna fight?” Din asked, already getting up from his chair and reaching for his own tube that had been abandoned on the control panel after a long and tiring make pretend sword battle with the kid earlier. Looks like he haven’t had enough. Din turned from Grogu, quickly setting the ship to auto-pilot and pressing the coordinates of Jhas Krill. Then he spinned around abruptly, taking Grogu by surprise, and swung his pipe in the direction of the child. The pipe reached the kid’s stomach softly, Din being very careful not to cause any harm to the kid.

“See? You just got stabbed” he declared, watching as Grogu’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s right, bud. If you wanna avoid that, you have to work on your reflexes.” He dangled the pipe in the air once more, but this time Grogu paid attention; he deflected Din’s soft movement with one of his own, his pretend sword blocking the hunter’s from reaching his skin.

“Good job!” Din exclaimed as he grabbed the child and held him in the air. “Good job, Grogu. You’re learning really fast.” The kid giggled and reached for Din’s face. Din held Grogu closer so the little one could touch his skin, a movement beginning to feel familiar for him. He closed his eyes as Grogu’s fingers collided with his face and relaxed, enjoying the moment. Then all of a sudden he felt a mild smack on his forehead and his eyes flew open in surprise. The kid was holding the sword over his head, laughing uncontrollably.

“I can’t believe you just did that” Din said as he put Grogu on the floor. “I can’t believe you would betray me like that.” Grogu didn’t seem worried about his sarcastic words, and Din knew why; what he was truly feeling at the moment were pride and happiness. He was extremely proud of the kid for using the tactics he taught him.

“Okay, that’s it” Din smiled, keeping his tone to display his fake annoyance. “You have to go to bed. That’s what you get for playing with your father's trust.” Grogu was still giggling and he didn’t protest at all; he seemed tired as he let Din carry him to their shared little sleeping space. He placed Grogu gently on the bed and tucked him in with the covers.

“Good night, Grogu” he whispered and he turned to leave. But as he wanted to make his way back to the cockpit, the child cried out, the sound breaking Din’s heart.

“Hey, pal, what’s wrong?” He asked worriedly as he ran back to the bed. Grogu opened his arms and Din gave him his hands immediately, only for the kid to start pulling him towards the sleeping space as soon as he grabbed Din’s index finger.

“I’m not tired, kiddo” Din said. Grogu pulled his finger a little harder, and even though it was faint, Din could feel the determination. He sighed. Looks like the kid won’t sleep alone tonight. “One minute” he muttered as he let go of Grogu’s tiny hand.

He went to the refreshing room and washed his face, then removed the Beskar from his body, only his undersuit remaining. He put the pieces of armor in their place carefully. They looked a bit dirty; he made a mental note to polish them as soon as he could. Turning off the lights of the Crest he walked back to the sleeping space.

“Scoot over, kid” he said fondly and lifted Grogu a little so he could fit himself in the narrow bed. The kid quickly cuddled up to his chest and Din smiled. Maybe going to bed early was worth it. He ran his fingers over his child’s head and closed his eyes. They were both snoring in a few minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i just really love the idea of Din teaching Grogu through playing with him and being the best dad without even knowing bye


	6. Jedi In The Swamp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is a small filler episode where they Finally meet Luke again :)  
> (a.k.a. Din takes his son to daycare)

Din navigated the Crest towards one of the many moons of Jhas. Jhas Krill, the eleventh moon of the gas giant, looked nothing like he expected. As he got close enough to inspect the terrain better he noticed the surface was covered mostly by soggy swamps and jungles, no villages or towns as far as he could see. He imagined the Jedi to train at a place that was calm and bright, not at a barely habitable mess of puddles. He scanned the moon with the heat detector in his helmet for any sign of life, and sure enough it detected a human just a few miles ahead. Din sighed and looked for any surface that wouldn’t sink the Crest.

He put the ship down not too far from the settlement of three huts close to an extremely muggy area. He thanked his lucky stars that the ground he landed on seemed solid enough to keep the Crest from going under. He sighed deeply and put his helmet back on, his headspace feeling a little dizzy. He knew he was feeling anxious, the evergrowing panic starting to take over his body. Thoughts of dread and doom raced through his brain, images of the worst scenarios possible that could happen to his kid popping up one after another. He shouldn’t be feeling like this. He was getting Grogu the help and training he needed. He had to make peace with the Jedi sooner or later. But first he would see how Skywalker treated his son.

He slipped down to the main area of the ship, knees a little weak, and he went to wake Grogu. He didn’t have to exclude too much effort since the child was already sitting up in the bed, curious eyes looking up at Din. It looked like he sensed the presence of his kind and Din’s heart ached a little, afraid that one day Grogu will wake up and realize that Din is not enough, that he cannot fulfill his true potential while tied to a broken bounty hunter. He pulled Grogu’s little coat tighter around the kid and patted his head, praying that today would not be that day.

They left the Crest together,Grogu situated comfortably in Din’s left hand, who kept the right on his blaster just in case. The air on Jhas Krill was humid, the warm temperature already crawling up Din’s armor, making it harder to breathe. He took in the sight before him; three, considerably small wooden huts scattered below a set of tall trees. Only the soft, joined hum of swamp creatures broke the silence. Surprising, to say the least. Unbearable weather, at least for someone wearing heavy layers of armor, the planet didn't seem inhabitable at all.

The Jedi finally appeared, stepping out from the bungalow that looked to be the biggest of the three. His appearance changed a but since the last time; instead of his dark cape, he was wearing a cardigan a few shades lighter and his light brown hair hung straightly, covering his eyebrows. His face was kind and compassionate as he took a few steps closer to the approaching pair. Din felt just as helpless in the company of an actual Jedi as he did with Ahsoka, or the first time he met Skywalker on the cruiser. He held a deep respect for the things these people were able to do, but it also filled him with great fear. He still couldn't understand. But for Grogu, he was willing to try.

He stopped in front of the Jedi, an uncomfortable silence hanging between them.

“Hi” Skywalker spoke up finally, and Din responded with an unsure hello. “Thank you for bringing him here today” the Jedi continued. “I agreed to visit my sister in a few days, but I have until then to train with the child.” Din nodded and looked the Jedi in the eyes. He had no idea if Skywalker was able to comprehend what he was feeling at the moment, or if he was even trying at the moment. Either way, fearing the Jedi could read his thoughts, he tried to bury his emotions as deep as he could.

“Thank you” he replied, already preparing to say goodbye. “I will be on my way then, I don’t wanna be a bother. Just send me a..”

“Nonsense” Skywalker interrupted. The sudden protest took Din by surprise. “I mean, you wouldn’t be in the way” the Jedi stammered, shifting his weight from one leg to another. Din felt taken aback. He was supposed to be a master of that Force thing, wasn’t he? Why did he look so unsure? “In case you don’t have any other errands to run, you’re more than welcome to stay.”

Din fell in deep thought for a moment. He could go and find a job while Grogu was off doing his training, but this was the first time he would leave the kid alone in the hands of a Jedi, and other than the show on Gideon’s cruiser, Skywalker didn’t look too promising so far. So after listing a few pros and cons in his mind, he decided he would stay. He could find a quest after the kid had his first education. They had enough food and a place to keep warm, after all.

So he nodded at the Jedi once again, knowing he would understand.

“Alright” Skywalker smiled. “We better begin, then. We don’t have too much time after all.”

Din expected the Jedi to ask him to go and make himself useful somewhere else at this point, but Skywalker gestured for him to follow, not even asking him to put the child down yet. The man entered the largest hut of the three, and Din stopped for a second, but then reluctantly followed the Jedi inside.

He had no idea what he was expecting. Maybe some training equipment, like dolls of enemies, obstacles, weapons. Or maybe, knowing as much about the Jedi as he did, candles and soft pillows, relaxing scents and soft lights. The way Ahsoka acted and spoke suggested to Din that the Jedi were collected and calm beings, who were ready to put on a fight and snap an enemy’s neck when in need. But what he actually saw when he entered the bungalow was nothing of the sorts: the small space was completely empty.

"You must have expected a different setting" Skywalker said as he made his way over the other side of the hut. "See, this is all rudimentary. The planet, I mean" the man turned to face them. "I don't exactly want to go around showing my face to the galaxy. Not many accepts our kind." There was something majestic about the way the Jedi stood there, surrounded by only wooden walls and emptiness, still managing to fill the space of the bungallow.

“Can you put him down on the ground, please?” He asked in a soothing voice and Din obeyed immediately. “Thank you” Skywalker nodded. “Now can you stand aside by the wall?” Din complied once again, this time a bit hesitant. The Jedi didn’t rush him at all as he stepped back from Grogu, keeping a worried eye on the kid.

Din thought the Jedi would give the kid some orders to assess the level of his abilities, but nothing of the sort happened. Just as Ahsoka had done before, Skywalker slowly sat down on the floor and closed his eyes. After a few seconds Grogu did the same, and Din knew the two were talking through a connection that was still unimaginable for him.


	7. Daycare Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grogu spends his first day at Jedi school :)

After what felt like hours for Din - even though only a few minutes had passed - Skywalker finally opened his eyes, a warm smile spreading to his cheeks. Din wanted to jump to his feet and ask what happened. What did they talk about through the ways of their sorcery? Could the Jedi find out more about the kid's past? Was Grogu feeling alright? Did he mention Din at all in their Force conversation? So many questions made their way to the tip of his tounge but he swallowed them back and remained calm, his fingers playing with the edge of the cape fixed to his armor. He’d been doing that a lot lately, as he noticed, in any stressful situation which involved the kid. He figured it was caused by the immense anxiety and fear of losing Grogu, but he wasn't too sure. He'd had these sort of substitude movements before; he'd touch his blaster more than it was necessary and he'd pick on his gloves before landing the Crest for a mission. But it had never been this intense; his hands found their way to the bottom of the cape every five minutes, grabbing the thick fabric and rolling it around.

He lifted his head to check on the kid just to see the Jedi looking over at him, face completely calm, and Din felt his worry wash away a little, his hands stopping their motions, but still holding the cape. The thousands of questions stirring in his mind almost made their way out before he regained himself; he simply watched as Skywalker bent down graciously and picked up a small rock from the ground and put it in his palm. Din knew exactly what was going to happen next. The same trick Ahsoka made the kid do, the trick he tried to practice with Grogu on the ship. Only instead of simply telling the childto get the stone, the Jedi turned to face Din.

“Come and stand next to me” the Jedi spoke. Din had no idea where was the man going with this but he still rose to his feet and walked over to Skywalker. “Good” the Jedi nodded. “Hold the stone in your palm” he told Din and handed the object over to him. The Jedi didn’t get to give any further instructions as Din already crouched down, holding his hand out towards Grogu, the movement feeling like second nature to him at that point. He expected Skywalker to stop him, but the man just watched the events outfold , his eyebrows raised in curiousity.

“Grogu” Din started, paying careful attention to make his tone as soft as possible, even with the distortion of his helmet. The kid’s eyes snapped up immediately and he cooed happily and Din couldn’t help but smile under the Beskar. Once again he was reminded how important saying the kid's real name was for both of them. “Come on, bud” he continued, eyes fixed on his son. “Take the stone.”

A lot faster than during the first try with Ahsoka, Grogu pulled the rock towards himself, small hands stretched out and face filled with concentration. Before the stone even reached the kid's three-fingered hands, Din shot up from his crouching state, triumph radiating from his body even through the armor. “Good job,” he proclaimed a bunch of times, just like he did on each and every occasion Grogu impressed him. The kid laughed contently as Din picked him up and threw him in the air, forgetting about the presence of the Jedi completely. Only him and his kid existed in the moment as he swung Grogu around, earning loud chuckles from the child.

After a little while Din snapped back to reality, back to the hut in the swamp, back to the fact that he was still in the middle of a Jedi training. He put Grogu on the ground, feeling embarassed for letting himself get carried away too much. He muttered a quiet sorry in Skywalker’s direction and the Jedi shook his head, but there wasn’t a trace of disapproval on his face. His expression only conveyed pure sincerity and maybe a small hint of sadness, Which Din had no idea what to think of.

They continued to train and the day dragged on slowly with Skywalker having Din help in every task and letting him praise Grogu after each accomplishment. Din didn’t even think about it while the tasks were being completed; he was just happy and extremely proud to see his son do so well.

The sun had finally set on Jhas Krill and the jungle came to life. The noise of creatures grew louder in the dark, filling the swamp with troublesome sounds. Skywalker lit a small fire in the middle of the solid ground that held the bungalows and brought some meat from the hut on their left. Din couldn’t quite identify its origin but Grogu started sniffing with his small nose right away. Din smiled and reached down for the kid who was sitting by his feet, searching for the buttons on the small coat, making sure it was wrapped around the child as tightly as possible.

Skywalker sat across them and began to roast the pieces of meat on the fire.

“Porgs” he said and Din knew the man felt his confusion. “I actually don’t know which planet they’re really from” the Jedi shrugged and he twisted the thigh of the creature above the fire. “A friend of mine brought a few from his latest trip. He’s sort of a smuggler.”

Din had no idea what to say, so an uncomfortable silence set between them. He'd seen smugglers across the galaxy and all of them felt the same to him; just people doing their best to get by. He didn't feel any different from them after all. After a few more twists and turns over the fire he porgs were finally done, and even though thex took an excrutiating amount of time to roast, Din was glad the kid coud have a solid dinner. The Jedi handed a chunk of meat over to Grogu and the kid took it happily, showing the entire piece in his mouth.

“Looks like he’s a quick eater” Skywalker remarked and Din agreed, having seen the kid destroy food at the same rate many times before. After a few more lumps of the foof, Grogu leaned his little head against Din’s calf and sighed deeply, looking up at his father, eyes heavy with sleep.

“We should really get back to the ship” Din said, stroking the kid’s left ear with his gloved hands. The Jedi nodded and gathered the remaining pieces of food and put them on an empty tray. “Take these” he told Din. “You worked just as hard today as we did.”

Din thanked Skywalker and carefully lifted Grogu off the ground, balancing both the kid and the tray of roasted meat in his hands. He walked back to the Crest, cautiously glancing at the ground every few seconds, making sure no swamp creature would jump out from the darkness to hurt them. Once they were inside the Crest, Din put Grogu on the bed and closed the doors. Just to be safe, he took a quick round in the ship and checked if everything was safely in its place, then he began to remove the Beskar.

He figured dinner could wait and he headed to take a shower. As the water ran down his body he began to think about the extremely long day they had, and once again he couldn’t help but wonder why the Jedi seemed so unsure most of the time. The man wasn’t anything like Ahsoka; while she was calm and collected, the Force thing looking to flow naturally through her presence, Skywalker was indecisive and uncertain. Din ran his hands over his face, letting himself relax under the burning shower, trying to piece it all together.

Once he was clean and dry he put his undersuit on and stepped out into the main area of the Crest, still rubbing a wet towel in his curls. Grogu was sleeping peacefully in their bed and knowing the child was safe, Din let his thoughts drift away, let his brain to connect the events of the day to the ones on Gideon’s cruiser, comparing the Jedi he saw back then to the Jedi he was faced with today.

Grogu snored a bit in his sleep and Din smiled softly at his child. The weight of the Beskar not pulling his body down anymore, he realized he was awfully tired too. He shook his head, deciding that observing Skywalker’s behavior could wait until tomorrow, and crawled into the tiny sleeping space. Grogu cuddled up to him immediately and the two fell into a deep slumber in the safety of the little ship they called home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stay tuned to find out why Din feels Luke is sus lol


	8. The False Magician

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din learns about Luke's past.

By the time Grogu woke the next morning Din had already prepared some breakfast for the kid, noting that Jedi training took much energy and he shouldn’t let his child go to school without giving him a proper breakfast. So he warmed some meat on the heating surface of the Crest, only getting himself a little piece, before serving the rest on the huge plate the Jedi gave him yesterday.

Grogu woke up to the smell, one of his ears perking up lightly, curious eyes searching for the source of the scent. Din smiled and grabbed the kid slowly, lifting him out from the small sleeping space and putting him down in front of a makeshift table in the middle of the ship.

“Eat up, kid” he said warmly, watching Grogu as the child had already swallowed an entire piece of the meat. “Guess we‘re up for a long day.”

Once they left the Crest, after Din had checked carefully for any swamp creatures that could be harmful for the kid, they made their way back to the huts once again, the Jedi already waiting for them patiently.

Din expected a lot more from the second day, but they went to the same place as yesterday and Skywalker made Grogu practice the same things as before. He looked at the Jedi questioningly more times that day than he could count, but the man didn't reciprocate his eye contact, not once. By the time they had been training for five hours, Din felt a sudden urge to blurt out all of his questions at the man; why was he unsure when he was supposed to be the greatest sorcerer? Why did Din, someone oblivious to magic his whole life, feel like Skywalker was not doing enough? He kept these to himself, however, reassuring himself that the Jedi must know what he was doing, and it was just him who had no idea about the entire Force thing. That was the truth after all; he didn’t understand a thing about it, as even Ahsoka noticed, and he had no idea how it worked, or if it was even a thing people were able to study. Despite his uncertainty, he put his doubts away each time Grogu even did as much as lift a stone.

The sun had set faster than Din even noticed, the whole day being spent on practicing Grogu’s stone lifting skills. Skywalker lit a fire in front of the small huts once again, just like the night before, and Din sat down on a stone, Grogu doing the same tiredly by his feet. He chuckled and he put one hand under the kid’s small body, lifting him up gently and placing him in his lap. From the corner of his eye, Din caught Skywalker smiling as he looked up, but the man had turned his head away before he could catch a second glimpse.

Time had passed slowly, the fire softly crackling softly between them. So many questions swirling in his mind, Din decided not to ask any of them yet. The Jedi took a seat beside the fire, staring into oblivion, head seemingly full of thoughts. He was the one to finally break the silence after a few minutes, Grogu already snoring in Din’s arms.

"I’m sorry” Skywalker started, still staring at the fire. “I know this is not what you expected.” The Jedi looked around the humid swamp, disappointment clearly shining in his eyes. Din had no idea how to respond, or if he was even worthy of speaking his mind in the presence of someone that was already capable of reading it. Nevertheless, he knew it was now or never.

“I expected more.. magic” he stuttered and an honest laugh left the Jedi’s lungs, the first one Din had ever heard. He knew he said something ridiculous in the eyes of a widely-known master, but he had no idea how to express anything more serious than admitting this wasn’t the level of ‘magic’ he imagined. He still was unsure about what the entire Jedi thing was about anyway.

“The Force is an energy field, created by all beings in the universe” Skywalker spoke up suddenly, taking Din by surprise. “But I bet you'd heard that one before” the man grinned, the fire lighting his face dimly. “I wish I could explain it more clearly” Skywalker shook his head. “I can’t.” Din saw the way Skywalker buried his face in his hands in disappointment, the scene in front of him taking him back to the day at the imperial base, when he first took off his helmet. Skywalker looked just as broken as Din felt in that very second.

“I actually” the Jedi took a deep breath, head still buried in his palms. “I have no idea what I’m doing.” The confession didn’t surprise Din very much at all as he had suspected that before. The honesty and vulnerability of the Jedi felt strange, however. As Skywalker rolled the food above the fireplace, he looked up at Din once again and began to tell a story.

“I’m not a real Jedi master,” he started. “I’d never had official training, after all.”

So Skywalker spoke, and Din learned a story far more complicated and heartbreaking about the Jedi than he expected. A story about the Jedi that came before the man, a story about betrayal. A story that was incomplete, because, as the man phased it, he had only heard it from a few others. After Skywalker was finished, the man fell in deep silence, and Din had no idea what to say. He didn’t feel any judgement towards the Jedi whatsoever; even though he couldn’t fully relate to everything the man had said, yet finding many points to connect to the story, still.

“I’m sorry” Din muttered finally. “All that must have been horrible.” And he meant what he said; a father going rogue that Skywalker had never known, not being able to get proper training over his powers because of that, having to discover his abilities almost entirely on his own. And on the top of it, as the Jedi vaguely mentioned, that father had to be the one that slaughtered children like Grogu in the Jedi Temple. Din saw the shame and sadness in Skwalker’s eyes and had no idea what to do. He felt sorry for the man, for having to take on such a haunting and unforgiving role after what had been done before he was even really alive.

"That is why I have no actual idea what I’m doing” the Jedi continued, barely registering the bounty hunter's words. Grogu snored loudly, gripping Din’s finger tight and turning in his sleep. None of that seemed to matter to Skywalker at the moment. The man was still staring at the fire, the meat he was roasting a little burnt on his stick, but Din didn’t want to break his thoughts, so he didn’t say anything.

“I heard someone of my kind call” Skywalker added, finally acknowledging to turn the roasting meat above the fire. “I was hesitant for a second. But then again, I couldn’t just ignore the call.” Din nodded and he understood. He could never ignore the screams and calls of his fellow soldiers of the Creed, either, no matter how hard he tried to forget them.

“So I located Grogu and flew to that ship” the Jedi said, looking down at the kid fondly. “But when I got there, I knew I couldn’t separate him from you. And I also knew I wouldn’t be able to train him alone.” The sudden honesty surprised Din a little. Of course, he thought, Skywalker only decided to leave Grogu with him after a few minutes of Force-talk between the two, Maker knew what had been said. Din could only hope they talked about positive things.

Din sat by the Jedi’s side quietly. Even though he felt sorry for the man, he also had a tiny bit of annoyance lurking in the back of his mind. So he wasn’t a properly trained Jedi. He searched across the Outer Rim for one, and the one he found is not even a professional. He stared at the ground for a while, head empty and full at the same time. Then he shook his head. He saw what Skywalker could do: slicing Dark Troopers left and right, even after Din couldn’t handle their power. If the Jedi didn’t show up that day, Din knew they wouldn’t have really stood a chance. As he looked at his kid sleeping soundly in his arms, his annoyance washed away completely. Grogu was safe. That's all that mattered.

“You still seem powerful enough for me” he stated finally, looking up at Skywalker with determined eyes, and even though the man couldn’t see his face, Din knew he understood. “I need someone to train my son so he doesn’t lose control of his powers. I don’t mind if you don’t teach him the ancient magic ways.”

Skywalker giggled and shook his head. “You still have no idea how the Force works, do you?”

Din shook his head. He really didn’t understand much of what was going on, but he was willing to try for his kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i'm back after a month. i'm done with my exam season and i'm working on my thesis all while fighting the government so updates won't be as frequent as before. life is hard, my luvs
> 
> (also i don't count Luke's Swamp Days at Uncle Yoda's as official Jedi training because he wasn't like. raised in a Jedi way, you know ripped away from his family at a young age and stuff)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a series with connected chapters. Some fluff, some whump, just space dad and his green son being the softest clan of two in the galaxy.


End file.
